"Crop rotations increase crop yields by improving soil conditions and reducing weed and insect populations. Rotations also help producers use conservation tillage successfully. A well-planned crop-rotation system can help producers avoid many of the problems associated with conservation tillage, such as increased soil compaction, perennial weeds, plant diseases, and slow early season growth. This publication reviews the effects of crop rotations on conservation-tillage crop production and provides examples of successful rotations used by crop producers in Pennsylvania."

"Producers seed cover crops to provide a soil cover or barrier against soil erosion. In addition, cover crops can improve the soil by adding organic matter, nutrients, and stability and by acting as scavengers to trap leftover nutrients that otherwise might leach out. Cover crops are used as ground cover, mulches, green manure, nurse crops, smother crops, and forage and food for animals or humans. Cover crops can be annual or perennial species, including certain legumes, grasses, and non-leguminous dicots."

"Soil fertility management for forage crops is a continuous process that begins well before the forage crop is established. In the pre-establishment phase the soil conditions are adjusted to provide optimum soil fertility when the crop is established. At establishment the fertility program should deal with any last-minute small adjustments in soil fertility and any requirements for getting the plants established, such as a starter fertilizer. Finally, once the crop is established the fertility program focuses on maintaining good soil fertility levels for the life of the forage stand."

"Nutrient management has taken on new meaning in recent times. Soil fertility traditionally dealt with supplying and managing nutrients to meet crop production requirements. The predictable response of a crop to the application of a deficient nutrient has been the focus. Ways of farming to optimize agronomic production and economic returns to crop production were developed to take advantage of these expected crop responses. Changes in the supply of plant nutrients for this purpose have been dramatic since the end of World War II."

"Double-cropping corn following the first cutting of hay can be an effective cropping strategy to maximize feed production on fields that are being rotated from hay to corn. Many crop producers in Pennsylvania routinely use this strategy with a good success rate, but it requires careful management. Without paying some attention to the details, you may obtain disappointing results. The objectives of this fact sheet are to review the advantages and disadvantages of double-cropping corn following hay and to provide some recommendations for improving the success rate of the practice."

"Crop rotations can benefit dairy farms in many ways. An effective crop rotation meets the feed needs of the operation, improves crop yields, reduces pest problems, and effectively uses on-farm nutrients. Because the resources and needs of dairy farms differ, the best crop rotation for each farm also will vary. As farms expand and forage and nutrient manage-ment requirements change, crop rotations also can be refined and improved. Because many factors can influence crop rotations, planning decisions are often complex. The objective of this fact sheet is to review some potential benefits of crop rotations and provide some guidelines for using them as a tool to address various production problems."

"Corn harvested for silage is an important feed crop on most Pennsylvania farms, where cropland often is limited. The crop provides livestock producers with a high-yielding, relatively consistent source of forage and the animals with a highly digestible and palatable feed. Corn silage produces more energy per acre than any other crop grown in Pennsylvania."

"Shortages of forage crops in Pennsylvania most often occur during the summer, when dry conditions have reduced the productivity of pastures, hay crops, or silage corn fields. Summer-annual grasses, which maintain relatively high levels of production during hot and dry conditions, can greatly reduce the risk of inadequate forage production during the summer. They also can be used as an emergency forage source when production of corn and hay crops is likely to be less than adequate."

"Because of high costs, seeding forage crops is considered to be a "high stakes" farming operation. The days of spreading some seeds on the ground and hoping for nature to cooperate are past. Today, success is imperative. Forage producers must minimize risk as much as possible to ensure successful forage crop establishment. Here are some practices that can improve the success of forage crop seedings."

"Eastern black nightshade Dun.), an annual broadleaf plant, is an increasing weed problem in northeastern field crop production. It is native to the Americas and is commonly found throughout the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Nightshade begins germinating in May and can continue throughout the growing season. Although it can cause crop yield reductions, more importantly it can interfere with the harvest and lower crop quality."